For me, October will forever be the official month-long celebration of Halloween! This is my favorite holiday, y’all. Ever since I was a kid, I have loved all things spooky, creepy and even downright terrifying. Maybe it was growing up with Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire, the Beetlejuice cartoon, or Ghostbusters action figures, but I am hooked on horror, especially spooky and scary television.
Here are some of my favorite spooky and scary television show recommendations to get you in the mood for All Hallow’s Eve. I will give each a rating of 1-5 Screams to show you how scary I think each is. 1 Scream is ok for your littles {as in, my 4 year old watches them}, and 5 screams is only for the strong of mind and stomach. Watch, if you dare.
For the Kiddos
Super Monsters (Netflix): 1 Scream
This cute show features the kids of the world’s most famous monsters, like Dracula and The Mummy, navigating school as they master their powers. My toddler enjoys watching this one; no scares here.
Vampirina (Disney+): 1 Scream
Vampirina is a young girl who must now navigate everyday ordinary life when her vampire family moves from Transylvania to Pennsylvania. My 4 year old loves this show; also no scares here. Wanda Sykes as a gargoyle is too funny.
Are You Afraid of the Dark? (Paramount/Prime Video): 2 Screams
I love that this 90’s show is back available for our kids now! This one is better for elementary or middle school aged kids, as there are a few scares from the various ghost stories being told.
Goosebumps (Netflix): 2-3 Screams
Yay for the 90’s again! These episodes are all based on the classic R.L. Stine books; some of them are pretty creepy while others are a little cheesy. Best to watch this one with your older kids as well.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Prime Video): 3 Screams
Gosh, what girl growing up in the turn of the 21st century doesn’t remember how awesome Buffy Summers was? A high school cheerleader turned monster slayer, with her pack of Scooby friends helping her out. This is one of my all time favorite scary television shows, period, and most lists of the best television ever have this towards the top. Must watch, especially for the high schoolers.
For the Adults
Stranger Things (Netflix): 3 Screams
I love this show, even if it centers around kids in the 80’s fighting supernatural forces. It is so cute and funny, but also creepy and dramatic. It can be a watch for the whole family if you have older kids. Season 4 coming next year!
The Walking Dead (Cable or Netflix): 3-5 Screams, depending on season
If you watch any television at all, you have probably heard at some point about this show. Picture our current world, but as a zombie-apocalypse. And just when you think the zombies are going to be the worse part of this new world, the humans become the real monsters. It is rated as one of the best television shows ever, but in my opinion the earlier seasons were the best. Massive gore count in a lot of episodes, so this one is not for those with a weak stomach.
Evil (Paramount): 4 Screams
This is one of the better scary television shows I have watched in the past year. There’s always something so super creepy about demonic forces relating to the Christian world. In this show a psychiatrist, a priest-in-training and a contractor/computer nerd are hired by the Catholic church to investigate supposed possessions and other extraordinary phenomena to see if they are fake, or truly supernatural.
The Exorcist (Prime Video): 4 Screams
I thought this show rocked. Alas, it was canceled after two seasons, but you can still catch the episodes on Amazon Prime. The first season continues years after when the movie leaves off, following a continued demonic presence haunting Reagan, i.e. the girl whose head spins around. Geena Davis does strong work here.
The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix): 4 Screams
This is such a cleverly written and eerily shot show. It follows the Crain family between the past and present, as they navigate broken relationships and haunting memories of the home they grew up in, and were chased out of. Sure there are plenty of ghosts, and “gotcha” moments, but the true brilliance of this show are the family members themselves and the splendid acting. There are two related scary television series, but this one is the best.
Hannibal (Prime Video): 5 Scream
As one of the most recognized names in the modern day horror genre, this show follows the earlier days of the relationship between the brilliantly twisted psychiatrist Hannibal Lector and the FBI criminal profiler Will Graham. It is extremely gory, and brutally tense, but the best thing about this scary television show is the rollercoaster relationship between these two men. Are they friends? Are the in love? Are they mortal enemies? Will Hannibal eat Will? This is a MUST watch if you have any inclination for murder shows.
American Horror Story (Cable or Hulu): 2-5 Screams, depending on season
Probably the most classic show you could watch to get you in the Halloween mood is American Horror Story. It has horror in its name, for goodness sakes. I love this show because as an anthology series it uses many of the same actors each season and gives them different storylines, roles, costumes, makeup, scenery, the whole works. Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson and everyone else are just phenomenal, and I truly think Ryan Murphy has the Midas touch. Fave seasons are Murder House, Coven, Asylum and Cult. Skip Roanoke and 1984.
Well there you have it, ladies! My husband may think I’m crazy, but I will be up late this month binge-watching all my favorite scary television shows. Do you have any good ones that I missed? Sound off below! Everyone is entitled to one good scare on Halloween.
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